Relay-switch.



H. M. SGHEIBE.

RELAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 11111.21, 1909.

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H. M. SGHEIBE.

RELAY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 21, 1909.

Patented May 31, 1910.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD M. SCHEIBE, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTING-HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA.

RELAY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HAROLD M. SOHEIBE, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Wilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Relay-Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to relay switches and it has for its object toprovide a device of this character having special operatingcharacteristics whereby it shall be adapted for automatically governingthe starting and stopping of vapor rectifiers.

It is a well known fact that mercury vapor rectifying devices cease tooperate if their alternating current supply circuits are broken or ifthe supply of energy is temporarily interrupted, from any cause. Inorder to avoid this great disadvantage, I provide means forautomatically starting the rectifying process upon the renewedapplication of alternating current energy to the supply circuit.

My relay is also so arranged as not to restart the rectifying processwhen it has stopped under predetermined conditions in the direct currentcircuit which is supplied from the rectifier. For example, if a mercuryvapor rectifying device is employed for charging a storage battery, myimprovement may be utilized, in lieu of an attendant, for automaticallyrestarting the rectifying process upon its accidental discontinuance andfor allowing the rectifying process to stop when the battery is chargedto a predetermined degree.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a diagrammatic view of abattery charging system embodying my invention and Figs. 2 and 3 are,respectively, a plan view and a front elevation of a relay switch constructed in accordance with my invention.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the drawings, alternating current energy may besupplied from any convenient source, such as the gen erator 1, through areactance 2, an auto transformer 3 and circuit conductors 4 and 5, toterminals 6 and 7 of the rectifying device 8. Regulating dials 9 and 10are adapted to so vary the circuit connections of the auto transformer 3as to adjust the alternating current voltage impressed upon therectifier. A relay switch 11 is intro duced in a circuit conductor 75which supplies energy for tilting the rectifier bulb and its coil 12 isconnected in series with the direct current circuit of the rectifierwhich may be connected to the terminals of the storage battery 13 or tosome other suitable load, one terminal of the circuit being connected tothe middle point in the auto transformer 3 and the other being connectedto the direct current terminal 14 of the rectifier.

The rectifier comprises a substantially cruciform bulb 15, a supportingframe 16 therefor which is pivotally mounted on a shaft 17, a startingor tilting magnet 18 having stationary and movable core members 19 and20 and coils 21, 22 and 23. The frame 16 is provided with a crankprojection 24: which is resiliently connected to the movable core member20 by a rod 25 and springs 25 the arrangement of parts being such thatwhen the coils 21 and-23 are energized, the rectifier will be so tilted,in opposition to a counter weight 26, that the mercury within therectifier bulb will form a circuit connection between the direct currentterminal of the rectifier and a starting terminal 27 in a Well knownmanner.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 of the draw ings, the relay switch, which ishere shown on a larger scale, comprises a substantially rectangularmagnetizable frame 27 having lugs 28 and 29 projecting laterally fromits respective ends, ears 30 on its upper end and cars 31 and bracket 32on one side, coil 12, stationary and movable core members 35 and 36, alever 37 fulcrumed on a shaft 38 that is supported by the ears 30, alatch arm 39 pivotally suspended from the cars 31 by a pin 40, aweight-bearing rod 4.1 pivotally suspended from the outer end of thelever 37, stationary contact terminals 4.2 and 43 and a movable bridgingcontact member 44 that is operatively connected to the core member 36.

The frame 27 is fastened to a plate or slab 45 by bolts 46, which extendthrough the slab and are screw-threaded into the lugs 28 and 29. Thestationary contact terminals 4-2 and 43 are provided with shankprojections 47 which extend through the slab 45 and are screw-threadedto receive nuts 48. The inner end of the lever 37 is provided with abifurcated projection 33 which is adapted to engage the under side ofwasher 19 on the rod which projects from the core member 86 in orderthat a weight 51 on the rod 1-1 may normally tend to move the bridgingcontact member 44 into engagement with the stationary contact terminals42 and $3. The rod 11 on which the weight 51 is suspended, is providedwith a notched projection which is engaged, under predeterminedconditions, by a finger 61 at the lower end of the arm 39.

A floating weight 62 is loosely mounted on the rod 41 above the bracket32, upon which it rests except when the magnet winding 12 is energizedto a predetermined degree. The arm 39 is provided with a projection 63to be engaged by a lever Get which is pivotally mounted on a stationaryshaft 65, the lever being normally in such position that the arm 39 isfree to assume the position which is determined by its center ofgravity. The lever 6st may be rotated in opposition to a spring 66 bymeans of a handle grip 67 which acts through a lever 68 and a connectinglink 69, the handle being attached to the outer end of a shaft 70 whichprojects through the plate or slab 45 and carries the lever 68 at itsinner end. The arm 39 is so formed that the finger 61 tends to engagethe notch 71 in the projection 60, but the contour of the projection issuch that the finger will pass over the notch if the rod 4-1 is actuatedrapidly in either direction.

The weight rod 41 is screw-threaded at its lower end and is providedwith nuts 73 which are adapted to engage the lower end of the fioatingweight 62 after the movable core member of the electro magnet has movedthrough a portion of its travel, and the arrangement of parts is suchthat the finger 61 comes into engagement with the notch 71 at thispoint. By this means, the weight rod a1 is latched either when theelectromagnet is energized by a current which is less than thepredetermined value or when the magnet winding is partially deenergized,so that the weights are able to separate the stationary and movable coremembers, and the single weight at the lower end of the rod is notsufficiently heavy to continue the movement and to close the relayswitch.

The operation of the system is as follows: Assuming that the rectifyingprocess is in operation, the circuit connections being as indicated inFig. 1, and that the storage battery is only partially charged, if therectifying process is interrupted, for any reason, such as theinterruption of the alternating current supply circuit, the relay switchwill, of course, be closed, since the coil 12 will be dcenergized byreason of the failure of the current traversing the direct currentcircuit of the rectifier. An alternating current circuit is thereforecompleted through the relay switch to the magnet coils 21 and 23 of themagnet 18, the energizing of which will be followed by a tilting of therectifier bulb. The mercury contained in the bulb will then form acircuit connection between the terminals 14 and 27 of the rectifier and,by this means, the coil 21 will be short circuited, thereby choking downthe magnetization across the air gap between the stationary and movablecore members of the magnet and permitting the counter-weight 26 toreturn the rectifier to its normal operating position. The short circuitreferred to above will thus be interrupted and an electric are producedso that the alternating current voltage applied to the rectifierterminals may start the rectifying process in a well known manner. Theaction of the starting magnet will obviously be repeated if therectifier fails to start.

The voltage applied to the rectifier bulb is so proportioned that, whenthe battery is fully charged, its counter-electromotive force willsufficiently oppose the direct current voltage of the rectifier tointerrupt the rectifying process and to deenergize the relay switch.This occurs after the current has fallen below a predetermined limitwhich is not sufiicient to keep the relay switch open in opposition toboth of the weights and, consequently, the switch has moved toward itsclosed position until the weight 62 comes into engagement with thebracket 32, the parts having thus been brought to rest long enough forthe projection 61 of the arm 39 to come into engagement with the notch71. When the bulb drops out the relay is latched so that the circuit ofthe starting device is held open. In order to start the rectifier, it isnow necessary to release the weight rod 41, which may be accomplished byrotating the handle 67. Thus it is apparent that the rectifying processmay be automatically stopped and prevented from attempting to restartwhen the current traversing the direct current circuit falls graduallybelow a predetermined amount, although it will be automaticallyrestarted if the rectifying process is interrupted under otherconditions.

I claim as my invention:

1. A relay switch comprising a movable contact member, an actuatinglever therefor, weights suspended from the lever and tending to closethe switch, and means dependent upon a predetermined movement of thecontact member from either its open or its closed position for holdingthe switch in an intermediate open position.

2. A relay switch comprising a movable contact member, an actuatinglever therefor, weights suspended from the lever and tending to closethe switch, and a latch which is dependent upon a predetermined movementof the contact member from either its open or its closed position forlocking the switch LAX in an intermediate 0 en circuit position, agreater movement of the contact member being independent of the latch.

3. A relay switch comprisin a stationary frame, stationary and movab ecore members, an opening coil, a lever pivotally mounted on thestationary frame and operatively connected to the movable member of theswitch, a rod suspended from the lever and having a notched projectionat one side, weights attached to the rod, an arm or latch suspendedadjacent to the rod and provided with a finger, and means tending toforce the finger into engagement with the notch in the rod.

4. A relay switch comprising a stationary frame, a movable core member,an opening coil associated with the core member, a lever pivotallymounted on the stationary frame and operatively connected to the movablemember of the switch, a rod suspended from the lever and having anotched projection at one side, weights mounted on the rod, an arm orlatch suspended adjacent to the rod and having a finger adapted toengage the notch in the rod at a predetermined intermediate position ofthe switch, one of said weights being carried by a projection of theframe when the switch occupies its open position and being picked up bythe rod in said predetermined mtermediate position of the switch.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 13th dayof J anuary, 1909.

HAROLD M. SCHEIBE.

Witnesses:

HAROLD B. TAYLOR, BIRNEY HINES.

